Chapter Text
Ever since the Slytherin common room celebration, Sebastian’s life - to all intents and purposes - was going swimmingly. No more was he consumed by reading religiously into dark magic, his grades were as brilliant as his status as seeker, and the most important part - his relationships with you and Ominis were improving by the day. If he could make one adjustment, it would be to have Anne here amidst it all. Regardless, he knew that was a dying wish and had agreed, at least for now, to let it go.
He’d decided to take up early morning running, when sleep wouldn’t claim him after a bad dream. It was the best way to clear his head for a good hour and would wake him up properly for the day. If he was feeling adventurous he’d tour around the Black Lake, but most days he stuck to the castle itself.
That morning he’d decided to take a pit stop by the kitchens to grab some breakfast when he overheard two professors nearby whispering in hushed tones to one another. They were speaking so low he could only just make out what they were saying - altering his mood entirely.
Sebastian was wheezing heavily for breath when he finally burst into the room you both resided in, sweat dampening his hair and face.
You sat up in his bed, your wavy hair still a mess “Sebastian! Are you all right? You look as pale as a ghost”
“I heard Professor Weasley and Professor Shah chatting.” he gulped, leaning onto the bedpost for support “Solomon is coming to the school to meet with Professor Black.”
A frown spread across your face, as you got up out of bed “What? Why?”
“They didn’t say.” his eyes searched yours in desperation “What if it’s do with Anne, or what if it’s to do with me and he’s changed his mind, he’s going to send me to Azkaban now-“
His visible shaking was steadied by your firm grip on his forearms “Sebastian stop. Breathe. Why would Solomon do that after all this time has passed?”
“Well can you think of another reason?”
Silence followed.
“I need to be in that meeting. I need to know what’s happening.” he stressed.
His mind was scrambling with potential solutions when he neared toward you, a mental light bulb flickering.
“Can you help me?”
“Help you how?” you questioned.
“You’ve brewed polyjuice potion before, haven’t you?”
Taking that potion might’ve been the riskiest thing you’d ever done during your stay at Hogwarts. Acting was not your forté when it came to impersonating others. Ominis had confirmed as much when he randomly informed you bubotuber did NOT make a fine moustache paste. After that, you didn’t see any reason to attempt it again.
“Yes, but that was for an entirely different reason, not to mention how close I was to being caught.”
“Please.” Sebastian pleaded “You know I would never snitch on you if I’m unlucky enough to be caught.”
“But what if you are caught? What happens then?”
“Then I suppose it will have been nice knowing you…” he lets out a lighthearted chuckle, yet his face told a different story. Recently, telling Sebastian - or anyone that begged for your help - no came easier than you’d expected. Only now, given your presence in the catacomb, it did benefit you to know why Solomon was here.
That’s at least the reasoning you gave yourself as you sighed.
“You can’t do this alone. I’ll help you.”
“Really?” he studied you before you nodded in acceptance. Glee filled his voice “Thank you so much!”
Without thinking, he pulled you in for a hug. His squeeze was tight yet comfortable - there was something about being in his arms that felt right. Sebastian felt exactly the same. He was about to let his body relax in your embrace when you moved backward, unaware that he soon missed the heat. It was embarrassing really, to crave physical affection so much.
Mentally cursing himself, Sebastian cleared his throat. “So… who are our victims going to be?”
“Wait, victims? You want me to take some too?”
“Isn’t that what you meant by you’re helping?”
“I kind of assumed I’d stand by and watch it blow up in your face” you deadpanned.
Sebastian playfully raised his middle finger “Very funny. But no, this is even better if you think about it - there’s a less chance of us being spotted if you’re there to guide me!”
With a dramatic groan, you walked around the room collecting your clothes. Sebastian followed closely behind, like a lost stray puppy.
“You don’t even have to follow me in. Just get me to the door and I’m forever in your debt”
“Okay. Okay, but if we do this, we do this my way, understand?” you demanded.
“I like it when you’re bossy” he smugly towered over you, standing between you and your boots.
You pushed him aside, choosing to ignore the flirtatious nature to his comment. “So, the logical thing to do would be to pick a professor that could walk into the meeting without it looking suspicious. Not Professor Black himself as we’d need to have some idea of the agenda”
“Good luck getting close enough to one to try. What about a house elf?”
“If we start to transfigure into our original form too soon, it’s going to be way too obvious.”
“Well our only other options are students and unless you know who the least obvious are, I’m at a loss” he slapped his knees in defeat as he sat in the armchair.
“I have an idea… But you’re not going to like it.”
The rest of the day felt like a stealth mission. Luckily, you’d stored most of the ingredients from the previous polyjuice potion in the Room of Requirement. The trickiest part became securing the hair from the chosen subjects. Especially yours - Cressida Blume. Her determined nature and stubbornness to keep moving made it hard to get close. Eventually, she stopped to pick up some fertiliser from the herbology stores when you graciously offered to help her, taking a strand of her curly hair there and then.
Once that was done, you set to work brewing the potion in the back room behind the Great Hall, following the instructions from the book you had previously been given. 10 minutes before Solomon’s scheduled arrival, Sebastian arrived with a glimmer in his eyes, excited to experiment with the potion for the first time.
Until he realised who he was mimicing.
From behind the curtain, a familiar copper haired Gryffindor appeared with the most displeased sulk on his face.
“Remind me - why couldn’t I have been literally anyone other than Garreth bloody Weasley?”
“Because he’s a Gryffindor and so is she. The head girl and the star of quidditch” you stated, trying to fix the face that showed in the mirror. The polyjuice potion you’d brewed for yourself hadn’t been as effective as the one Sebastian had drank. You were scared you would be caught, stressing you massively.
“Actually, I think you’ll find I’m the star, not him” he huffed, egotistically.
You whipped your head to glare in disbelief at him “Does that really matter right now? We’re the least conspicious people to be lurking around that area!”
“And if we’re discovered? What’s our alibi or… motive then hm?” he sassed.
“Simple.” you said with your hand presenting in the air “As gleaming figures for the school, we’re here to propose ideas to the head teacher for the Yule Ball.”
Sebastian rolled his eyes “That’s the least believable thing I’ve ever heard”
“Do you have any other ideas?!” you hissed.
“Fine, fine, we’ll go with your moronic plan. Ready?”
You took a deep breath, steadying your nerves “Ready”
Making your way around unnoticed as two popular Gryffindors was a failing task. At almost every turn, students stopped you to ask about the next game or what was on the agenda at the next prefect meeting. You babbled something about deducting house points from first years , Sebastian chuckling at your joke as the others around took it fully seriously.
After what felt like forever, you both stopped abruptly to see Solomon and Professor Black head into an office nearby his own (apparently it had fell victim to some overconfident fifth years who infested it with dungbombs - scoring them 3 months worth of detention).
Pressing your ears against the door they entered, you listened in to the two men speaking beyond the door before you’d make your entrance.
“Now do tell me what I can help you with, Mr Sallow?”
A thick northern accent spoke “It’s about my nephew, Sebastian.”
A pouring of a refreshment could be heard “Ah. Rambunctious little fellow isn’t he?”
Sebastian gasped at you, bitterly offended “What is he talking about? I’m 6 foot 1!”
“Shh!” you pressed your hand against his mouth.
“I just want to know how he’s getting on. How’s he behaving, any trouble?” Solomon asked, intrigue in his tone.
“Bit of a long journey to make for that? Couldn’t send an owl?” Professor Black questioned, subtle annoyance in his voice.
“It’s important to me that I know he’s doing what he should be. His sister wants to know too” Solomon replied, clearly using Anne to guilt trip him.
“Oh. Well, I’m sure I can find a report from his teachers somewhere. Let me ask my house elf, Scrope. He’ll be just outside.”
Oh no.
Not now.
The two of you stared at each other wide eyed in panic, looking around for the best way to set your story up. Footsteps grew louder by the second and you were running out of time.
“Quick! you yelled in trepidation.
With the same force you’d used on him in the library, he pushed you against the wall and without thinking, thrust his lips upon yours. Your body was frozen in shock as his pressed against yours. The kiss was rough and dry, nothing at all like you’d imagined from Sebastian.
Except they weren’t his lips, nor his face. This wasn’t Sebastian and this wasn’t real.
“Excuse me?! What on earth are you doing?!” the thunderous voice of Professor Black forced Sebastian to pull away and stand back with a fake startle.
Putting on your best acting as Cressida, you twirled your hair with your finger, looking away to hide your features “Sorry, we were just…”
Sebastian intervened, purposely sounding pompous “Wanted a moment of your time if you’re free… sir.”
The headmaster eccentrically placed his hands on his hips as he yelled “No I am certainly not! And just for bothering me, I deduct 30 points from Gryffindor!”
Sebastian faced the floor, attempting to hide the smirk that appeared on his face. That’d get Garreth back for his comments.
“We’ll be on our way, sir.” you quickly yanked Sebastian by the sleeve and pulled him away. As spurts of brunette uprooted ginger, it was just in the nick of time too. Reaching the trophy room, you both had returned to your original form. Breathless pants left the two of you.
“That was close!” Sebastian puffed out, checking out his reflection on one of the trophy casings. “At least we know why he’s here though”
He looked toward you expectantly for a reply, only to see you gazing off, absentmindedly. Fear started to fill him - the kiss was a last minute ploy, not one he had fully thought through until that moment. Admittedly, it had been a long time since he had engaged with anyone, let alone his best friend. What if you felt violated, what if you had gone straight back to hating him? What if you hated it?
Had your friendship been ruined by a single kiss?
He swallowed deeply, grabbing your attention and bringing you back into focus “I’m sorry about… changing the plan like that”
“Oh…don’t worry about it” you waved it off coolly, though Sebastian wasn’t fully convinced and neither were you.
The journey downstairs was rather quiet as you looked outside the windows calmly. On the inside, your mind was racing with resurfaced memories and notions of new ones. No matter what had happened, Sebastian was your friend, you told yourself, and that kiss meant nothing. Why would it? There was only reason it held any semblance of meaning to you.
Because feeling Garreth’s lips on yours was déjà vu.